To Fall in Love
by kryscrossed
Summary: COMPLETE Drake Parker didn’t believe in love. He believed in beautiful girls. He definitely believed in making out. But love? It didn’t exist.
1. Chapter 1

((A/N: Hey, first of all, thanks for the reviews, they make me happy. :-) About the transistion from Drake to Alexis being weird... sorry about that. I had astrisks seperating it, but for some reason, this site took them out. Which was annoying. Anyways, I tried to fix it. Hopefully, there's a clear division now. Chapter 2 will be up shortly. Unless I find something more fun to do tonight.))

Drake Parker didn't believe in love. He believed in beautiful girls. He definitely believed in making out. But love? It didn't exist, unless it was in reference to music. Now that was his true love. It was the reason he'd spent the last 3 days in his car, driving cross country so he could attend college in New York City. Not that he wanted to go to college. What he wanted was a record deal, but the only way he could get his parents to agree to help him was if there was some sort of formal education involved. So college it was.

Drake reached down and adjusted the volume on his car's CD player. He leaned his head back against the seat wishing he were already in the Big Apple. This trip was dragging on way longer then he had thought it would. On the map New York had looked so much closer to California then it really was. Even he had to admit he was getting a little sick of his CDs. You can only listen to Dashboard so many times before it starts to get a little old. Drake rubbed the back of his neck, willing the hours to go by quicker. A green sign flashed by, announcing he only had 90 miles to go before he hit the city. He sighed, half relieved the long trip was almost over, and yet still dreading the next hour and a half.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Alexis Parker pulled an oversized sweatshirt over her head, walking into the living room of the cramped two bedroom apartment she shared with her best friend, Jorja. "Hey, Jo! Where are you?!"

"Out here!" Came a slightly muffled voice from the fire escape.

Alexis walked to the window, pushing it up, and leaning her head out. Jorja sat cross legged, a guitar was leaned against the building beside her, and a worn notebook was balanced on one knee. "Writing?" Alexis asked, raising her eyebrows at her friend, "You know, there's gotta be a more comfortable place to do that."

Jorja shrugged, "I like it out here. It's peaceful."

Alexis laughed out loud at that, "Yeah, peaceful. That's how I would describe the constant sounds of traffic, mixed in with the occasional siren. Peaceful."

Jorja stuck her tongue out, "It's still nice. I like being outside!"

"Hey, whatever works for you. Listen, I'm going to meet my cousin, remember the one I told you about, who just moved here from Cali? He's coming in to town tonight, and I told him I'd treat him to dinner. I think I'm gonna take him to that little diner off 99th. You wanna come?"

Jorja looked tempted, but shook her head, "I would, but I'm finally making a breakthrough with this chorus. If I leave it now, it might not come back to me."

"Alright, well, I'll bring you a burger home. Oh, and you might wanna check in on the store… Adam called in sick, and Everett's taking his place… Not that I don't trust him… Ok, that's a lie, I don't trust him."

Jorja wrinkled her nose, "Great. I swear that kid's as dumb as a box of rocks. Dumber, even. How he's managed to survive this long beats me."

Alexis jumped as her phone began vibrating in her pocket, she pulled it out, and checked the caller id, "That's Drake. I'll see you later tonight."

"Goodnight," Jorja answered, as Alexis disappeared back into the apartment.

"Hey, Drake," Alexis said, opening the phone with one hand as she grabbed her keys and her purse with the other, "Are you here?"

"Yeah, I just go to the dorm. We still gonna get something to eat? I'm starved."

"Yeah, I'm on my way, I'll be there in 15 minutes." Alexis closed the phone, and slipped it back into her pocket, jogging down the stairs, and pausing at the back door to the small music store she helped Jorja manage, which was located just beneath their apartment "Hey, Everett, I'm heading out, Jorja's upstairs, and I have my cell phone if you need me."

Everett lifted his head from the comic book it had been buried in, and looked blankly at her, "K."

It was all she could do to keep from rolling her eyes, before she allowed the door to swing shut, and headed out onto the street. It was cool for late summer, the autumn breeze already picking up. Alexis buried her hands into the front pocket of her sweatshirt, and quickened her pace, excited to see her cousin, who had been one of her best friends until her family had moved to New York, just a few weeks after her tenth birthday. She walked the 10 blocks to his dorm, easily avoiding people and cars who seemed determined to run into her. When she reached the front of his dorm, she pulled her cell phone out again, scrolling through her phone book to Drake's name, and hitting the send button. He answered on the first ring, "Hey, I see you, I'll be right down."

Alexis glanced up, using her hand as a shield against the sunlight and scanning the windows of the building. "Where are you?"

"Well, now I'm on the stairs," Drake answered, his voice echoing in the cement stairwell.

Alexis dropped her gaze, looking instead to the double glass doors of the building. She grinned, hanging up the phone, as she saw Drake appear, and moved to receive his hug. "Oh my gosh! Look at you! You're not even gawky any more!" Alexis exclaimed, finally pulling back from the hug.

Drake looked offended, "Hey, I was never gawky!"

"Trust me, you were gawky."

Drake shrugged, giving in, "Well, I seem to look fine now. Or at least the chicks seem to think so." He added, grinning, "Now, what about this food, I haven't eaten since eleven. I just wanted to get here."

"Yeah, follow me." Alexis said, turning and leading the way down the street, "I bet the drive sucked."

"I actually started getting sick of my music. Me!"

Alexis chuckled, "Yeah, I remember when we drove out here. It was horrible."

"So, tell me about New York," Drake said, pushing his hair out of his eyes, and looking down at his cousin, "How do you like it here?"

"It's amazing. I mean, It has it's bad parts, I guess, but mostly, it's pure energy." Alexis pushed open the door of the diner, smiling at the man standing behind the counter, "Hey, Bobby!"

"Alexis! It's been a while, I thought you'd been avoiding me!" The old man smiled, his eyes crinkling in the corners, "Where's Jo? I've never seen you here without Jo."

"Back at home, watching the store."

"Ah, well, have a seat, I'll send Annie right out with a menu for the young man."

Alexis smiled at him again, moving to slide into her usual booth, as Drake sat across from her.

"Wow, first name basis with the diner guy. Impressive."

Alexis grinned, rolling her eyes at him, "Yeah, what can I say, I know all the VIP's of this town."

"Good, maybe you can get me in with a record company or two."

"Yeah, right."

Annie, a waitress who appeared to be somewhere in her mid thirties came over, carrying a glass of Sprite in one hand, and a menu in the other. The Sprite she placed in front of Alexis, and the menu she handed to Drake. "What, no Jo today?" she asked.

Alexis shook her head, taking a swig of her Sprite.

"Well, what would you like to drink then?" Annie asked Drake, her rough New York accent making her sound tougher then she really was.

"Uh, I'll just have a coke."

"One coke, coming right up," Annie said leaving the table and heading to the back of the diner to get his drink.

Drake looked back at Alexis, raising his eyebrows, "So, Alex, who's this Jo guy everybody's always talking about, do you have a boyfriend now or something?"

Alexis almost spit out her Sprite, "No!" she choked out when she finally had herself under control, "Jo's my roommate. And she's a _girl_."

"Oh," Drake responded, already having lost interest as he studied the menu, "What's good here?"


	2. Chapter 2

_**((A/N- Hey all, thanks again for all the reviews, they make me want to write more. Smallboxes, I can't tell you how much I appreciate a thoughtful review, one that's more then just "I like this." Go you! Not that I don't appreciate all my reviews, because I do! And Jockey, you know this is for you! Thanks for traversing the great city of New York with me, I can't wait to go back someday!))**_

Alexis fitted her key into the lock of her apartment door, glad to be home. "Hey, Jorja." She said, as she dropped onto the couch beside her.

"Hey, what took you so long? You were gone for hours." Jorja gave up on her attempt to find something good on TV, and tossed the remote onto a ragged old armchair.

"Well, I haven't seen the guy in almost ten years, give me a break. Besides, he wanted to see Times Square."

Jorja rolled her eyes, "Ugh. I hate tourists."

Alexis grinned at her, "Oh please, you were a tourist once too. And anyways, you have to admit, Times Square is pretty impressive."

Jorja conceded, grinning at her friends ability to see right through her, "True."

"So, did you get that chorus worked out?"

Jorja wrinkled her nose, "Almost. It's driving me insane. The music is amazing, it's just the words... they don't quite fit. And they're so freaking corny. Actually, I was gonna ask if you wouldn't mind taking a look at it. I could use some input, I've been staring at that notebook so long the pages are actually starting to blur."

"Sure, I'll take a look."

Jorja nodded, when it came to lyrics, Alexis was amazing, words were her forte. But the music... Jorja owned the music, all she had to do was pick up a guitar, and the melodies would come to her.

Alexis glanced at her watch and sighed, "Do you mind if I read it tomorrow? I'm exhausted."

"Yeah, of course. I'll be opening the store with you tomorrow, too. Adam called again, I guess he has some kind of flu thing going on. I gave him tomorrow off."

Alexis nodded, as she stretched. "K, see you in the morning."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Alexis flicked the lights on, and turned the sign on the door so it read "OPEN" from the outside.

"Hey," Jorja called from the back room, "That new shipment we've been waiting for finally came in!"

"Well, it took 'em long enough!"

"Tell me about it." Jorja said, carrying a box out from the back, and plopping it onto the counter, "If you wanna run the register, I'll get these CDs out on the shelf."

"Sure," Alexis clicked the front register on, impatiently tapping her fingers on the counter as it slowly hummed to life.

"So," Jorja said as she sat Indian style on the floor, in front of a display case, "What are we doing this weekend? I could really go for something fun, I haven't been out of the city in ages."

Alexis shrugged, jumping easily up to sit on the counter, "Do you have somebody to watch the store?"

"I was thinking I could ask Adam. He should be better by then, and he'll be wanting to catch up on his hours. I think he and Sam should be able to manage everything for a weekend. And if they get desperate they can always call Everett in."

"Well, I could-"

Alexis was cut off by the sound of the bell over the door sounding as somebody came in. She slipped off the counter, smiling at the customer, before she realized it was Drake, along with a girl she didn't know.

"Hey, Alex, this is Michelle," Drake grinned at her, looking pleased with himself, "she lives on my hall. Michelle, this is my cousin, Alexis."

"Yeah, whatever. Look, do you have any Britney Spears, or something?" She asked, looking blankly around.

Alexis raised her eyebrows at Drake, before answering, "Yeah, it's over in that corner" she said, pointing towards the back of the store.

The blonde turned on her heel and walked to the pop section. Alexis watched her saunter away before turning back to Drake, "You're kidding me, right?"

Drake shrugged, flipping through a stack of CDs, "Hey, the girl can kiss like nobody's business. Have you heard this one yet? Is it any good?" He asked holding up a CD.

"It's ok. Not as good as their first one. Stop trying to change the subject. You met her this morning, and you've already made out with her?"

"Well, technically I met her last night. What's the big deal?"

Alexis opened her mouth to respond when Jorja popped up from where she had been sitting, hidden from view one aisle over, "That's disgusting!"

Drake looked surprised at her sudden outburst, "Whoa, chill!" He said, clearly not upset at all by her words, "Who are you, anyways?"

"Drake, meet my roommate, Jorja, she's the one who owns this store. And Jorja, this is my cousin Drake."

Drake grinned easily at her, "You own this place, huh? How'd you manage that, how old are you, 18?"

Jorja crossed her arms over her chest, glaring darkly at him, "I'm 19, and it used to belong to my brother. He took off a few years ago, and I've been running it ever since."

Her obvious animosity seemed to go right over Drake's head, "Wow, lucky."

Jorja snorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm "Oh, yeah, real lucky. I got to live by myself at 17, pay my own rent and bills, and manage a store, all while trying to finish high school. Not to mention, I can't even think about college right now. Yeah, it was a real dream come true."

Drake glanced over at Alexis, finally seeming to sense that Jorja was a little upset, "Is she always like this?"

Alexis looked back and forth between Drake and Jorja, really not wanting to get involved in this particular discussion. "Yeah, like I'm gonna answer that. I think Malibu Barbie over there might need some help locating the S's. I don't think she's covered the entire alphabet yet in school." Alexis disappeared to the back of the store, and Drake leaned against the display rack, seemingly sizing Jorja up.

"You know, you're kind of cute when you're mad."

Jorja's eyes narrowed into thin slits, "Don't. Ever. Talk. To. Me. Again." She said, pronouncing each word slowly before turning away and going back to her box of CDs to be put away.

Drake shrugged, Michelle had come back up beside him, and was whining that she was bored. He slung his arm around her shoulder, waving to Alexis as he led her out of the store.


	3. Chapter 3

_**((A/N: Not as many reviews, that makes me sad. Jockey, I don't know if you saw it or not, but I wrote an a/n on the last chapter, but it was after you had already reviewed it. Just FYI. Anyways, reviews are welcome, even criticism, as long as it's constructive. Not flames, those just tick me off.) **_

Alexis watched as Drake left the store, the blonde barbie girl hanging on his arm. She rolled her eyes at her cousin's player-like nature, before turning to find Jorja, who was still fuming behind the counter.

"Ugh! What a jerk! He said I looked 'cute' when I'm mad! UGH!"

Alexis fought a grin, knowing it would only make Jorja angrier, "Yeah, a guy calling you cute, that is horrible." She said, leaning against the counter to watch her friend pace back and forth.

Jorja paused, placing her hands on her hips, and glaring at Alexis, "It was the way he said it. All cocky, like I was about to jump into his arms or something." Jorja began pacing again, "How can you stand to be around him?!"

"Well, given the fact that he's my cousin, he doesn't exactly come on to me," Was Alexis's dry response. "Anyways, he's not that bad, if you can look past the whole womanizing thing."

"Uh, not likely!" Jorja said, finally calming down enough to stop pacing. "I'l be happy if I never see him again."

"Heh, funny you should say that," Alexis said, a sheepish look on her face.

Jorja looked over at her, her eyes narrowing suspiciously, "What did you do?"

"Well, I kinda said he could come on Friday, and play some of his music here live... you know, so he can get his name out around here."

"Are you serious?! No, absolutely not. I mean it, Al, I'll strangle him if I have to look at that cocky grin again."

"Oh, come on, you ought to understand more than anyone. The whole reason he's here is to get a record deal. And you ought to hear him play, he's amazing... please?" She begged, offering her most charming grin, "I'll help you with that song you're working on."

Jorja looked torn, "Oh... fine. But just this once, then he's got to find somewhere else to play."

"You're the best!" Alexis said throwing her arms around Jorja's neck.

"Yeah, yeah. Just help me with these CDs." Jorja replied, grumbling.

Alexis smiled brightly at her, grabbing a stack of CDs, sticking a price sticker to each one before placing it on the shelf. It was almost eleven o'clock and business was beginning to pick up, neither Alexis or Jorja had much time to consider Draake Parker and his inability to treat women as they should be treated.

Drake arrived at the store early Friday morning, his guitar in a fabric gig bag over one shoulder, "Hey, Alexis," He said giving a nod to his cousin, "Where should I set up?"

"Over there should be fine," She answered, gesturing to the corner of the store, which was contained a slightly raised platform. She had towed her amp down earlier, so he wouldn't have to bring his all they way from the dorm, and a mic stand was already set up.

"Did you come in the back?" Alexis asked, watching as Drake went about setting up his limited amount of equipment.

"Yeah, why?"

Alexis grinned, "There's a small crowd out front."

"You're kidding! Is that from the flyers you put out? I didn't think anybody was gonna show." Drake said, squinting to see out into the morning sunlight.

"Yeah, well, I might have left your name off the flyers. And I might have said there was a mystery rock star who would be here."

Drake laughed outright at that, "Hey, whatever gets 'em in the door."

Alexis shrugged, "I might also have started a small rumor over at the high school that John Mayer was going to be here."

"You don't think they'll leave when they find out it's just me?"

"Not if your music's good." Alexis replied.

Jorja appeared beside her, barely holding back a glare as she looked at Drake, "You almost done setting up? I've gotta open the doors at ten."

Drake grinned at her, ignoring her clipped tone, "Yeah, I'm ready when you are." He slipped his guitar strap over his shoulder, running his pick over the strings to test the sound. Jorja turned her back and stalked towards the front door as he tuned his instrument, gritting her teeth in disgust.

The crowd, made mostly of screaming girls, surged forward as Jorja unlocked the door, practically pushing her over as they scrambled inside.

Drake took a deep breath, offering Alexis a small smile, "Wish me luck," he said as he struck the first chord, not allowing the crowd time to recognize, he wasn't actually John Mayer. He was halfway through the first song when the John Mayer fans seemed to forget all about their idol, as they swayed along to the music.

Jorja stood by Alexis, against the back wall of the store, watching Drake perform, "You know, I have to admit… he's really good." She commented, grudgingly, her arms crossed over her chest.

Alexis glanced sideways at Jorja, lifting her eyebrows, "Do I detect a sign of attraction?" She asked watching the way Jorja's eyes followed Drake along the makeshift stage.

"No!" Jorja exclaimed, "I'm just saying he's a good musician!"

"Uh huh," Alexis said, disbelievingly, "Sure."

Jorja spit her tongue out at her, before moving behind the counter, to ring up a customer who had been waiting there.

Drake finished his set, pulling his guitar over his head, and placing it on a stand that was at towards the back of the stage. He waved to the crowd, moving back to the microphone, "Hey, thanks everybody for coming out, you can hear some of my song on my myspace, and hopefully I'll have some shows around the city soon. Tell your friends about me!" With that he hopped off the stage, pushing through the crowd to the waiting Alexis, who ushered him into the storeroom. Drakes eyes were practically glowing, as he grabbed Alexis in a bear hug, swinging her around in a circle.

Alexis laughed when he put her down, "You were so good!"

"That was amazing!" Drake exclaimed, running both hands through his tousled hair, "I can't believe it! Did you see that crowd?"

"I know! Oh my God, Drake, you're so going to be famous!"

Jorja poked her head into the back room, "Uh, I could use a little help out here! Drake, you too, there are way to many people here for us to handle by ourselves." Drake started to protest, but Jorja cut him off, "Hey, I just let you perform a concert in my store. You can help out a little. Just help people find CDs. I'm sure you can handle that." She pulled her head back, allowing the door to swing shut behind her.

"Seriously, is she always like that?" Drake asked.

Alexis shrugged, avoiding the question, "C'mon, we better get out there."

Drake sighed, following her back out into the front, muttering under his breath "It's like I can't win with her!"


	4. Chapter 4

Jorja locked the front door to the music shop, breathing a sigh of relief, as she leaned back against it. "Finally! That was insane!"

"Tell me about it," Drake commented, hoping up onto the counter, "Do you always have that much business?"

"No, usually it's pretty slow around here. This was great for business, but I'm exhausted" Jorja answered, moving over behind the counter and leaning against the wall.

Drake turned to face her, bracing his hands on his knees, "So, you hungry? You wanna go grab something to eat with me?"

Alexis looked up from her place in front of the cash register, ceasing her count of the money to see her friend's reaction. To her surprise, Jorja's face flooded with color, and she shoved away from the wall, crossing her arms, the familiar look of animosity returning to her face.

"Just because you can get any _bimbo_ you want to go out with you, doesn't mean you can get me to." Jorja said, her voice like ice, before turning on her heel, and disappearing up to her apartment.

"What the hell!?" Drake exclaimed, jumping down from the counter. "Why does she hate me so much?! Come on, Alexis, seriously, you've gotta tell me, she's driving me insane!" Drake raked his hand through his hair, pacing back and forth.

"Ok, you gotta stop pacing!" Alexis said, grabbing Drake by the elbow and dragging him back to the makeshift stage, pulling him down next to her. She turned to face him, sitting Indian style. "Look, if I tell you, you have to promise not to tell Jorja that I did. I mean it."

Drake shrugged, "Ok, so what's the big deal? Why's she like that?"

Alexis raised her eyebrows, "Promise?"

"Yeah, yeah, I promise!"

Alexis fiddled with the cord on her sweatshirt, hesitating before she began the story, "You know, she was only five where her parents died. Her brother, he was 21, and he got custody. Mostly because they didn't have any other family. I guess her case kinda fell through the cracks. Anyways, He took care of her, if you can call it that, until her eighteenth birthday, then he took off, leaving her with this store, and all his debts. Some birthday present, huh? When he left, she had to put her whole life on hold. She fixed the store up, and managed to pay his debts off. Now she's just struggling to keep it going."

Drake sighed, "Yeah, that blows. But… I still can't see what it has to do with me."

Alexis shrugged, "She doesn't trust easily. Especially guys. And your reputation didn't help much."

"That's not my fault!"

Alexis raised her eyebrows, "Oh, really?"

"Ok, so it's a little my fault. But I really like her. Do you think you could talk to her for me? Please?"

Alexis rolled her eyes, "Oh, fine. I'll talk to her. But I'm not promising anything."

Drake grinned at her, getting to his feet, and offering her a hand up. "Talk to her. And call me, let me know what she says. I'll see you later."

"Night," She answered, closing the door behind him.

……………………………………………………………………………………………...

Jorja sat on the couch, her back against the armrest, and her legs pulled up under her, a pint of ice cream in her hand.

"Hey," Alexis said, sitting on the opposite end of the couch, "You ok?"

Jorja's eyes were red, as if she'd been crying, "I'm just mad."

"At Drake?"

Jorja sighed, putting the ice cream carton down on the coffee table, and picking up a throw cushion, hugging it to her chest, "More at myself." She said sniffling.

"At yourself? Why?"

Jorja buried her face in the cushion, her answer muffled by it.

"What?" Alexis asked, reaching over to pull the pillow away from Jorja's face.

"Because I think I like him." Jorja answered, her voice miserable.

"Ok…" Alexis said slowly, "And why is that a bad thing?"

"Oh, come on, Alexis! You of all people should know. I can't handle being hurt again. Especially not now. I've got way to much crap going on without him." Jorja grabbed the ice cream again, digging the spoon in, her eyes welling with tears.

Alexis reached over offering her friend a one armed hug. "Oh, sweetie. C'mon, he's not that bad. Why don't you give him a chance? He might actually surprise you."

Jorja sniffled again, wiping the tears from her face, and pushing up from the couch. "I don't know which is worse, liking him, and not doing anything about it, or dating him, and getting my heart broken in the process.

She disappeared into the kitchen, and Alexis could hear her putting the ice cream away in the freezer. When she came back out, she leaned against the door frame, hugging herself. "I don't know, Alexis. I just don't want to get hurt again. What should I do?"

Alexis drew a deep breath, her heart aching for her friend. "I can't tell you what to do," she said slowly, "And I can't guarantee you that Drake won't hurt you. But you can't live your life hiding from everyone just because they _might_ hurt you."

Jorja nodded, giving a watery smile. "I'm gonna hit the sack. I'll see you in the morning."

Alexis smiled back, "Goodnight," she answered, turning and heading to her own bedroom. She got ready for bed, and crawled beneath the covers before she pulled her cell phone and calling Drake.

He answered on the first ring, "So, what'd she say?"

"Well, hello to you too." Alexis said drily.

"Yeah, hi. What'd she say?"

Alexis rolled her eyes, "I don't know, Drake. Maybe you should just back off for a while. Give her some space."

Drake breathed a frustrated sigh, "What, she hates me doesn't she? Well, fine, I don't even care! I've got a date with Meredith tomorrow night anyways."

"No, Drake, that's not what I-"

"Just forget it, Alexis. It doesn't even matter."

Alexis opened her mouth to protest again, but Drake had already hung up.

From across the apartment, she could hear strains of Jorja's guitar, accompanied by her soulful voice. Alexis bit her lip, setting her phone on the night stand. She couldn't help but think she'd really just screwed something up for both her cousin and her friend. She clicked her bedside lamp off, pulling the covers up to her chin, and staring at the wall.


	5. Chapter 5

**Jorja sat on the couch, guitar in hand, and notebook sitting next to her on the side table, as she stared into space.**

"**Earth to Jorja," Alexis said, playfully waving her hand in front of Jorja's face, "You in there?"**

"**Ha, ha. You're hilarious." Jorja responded, cracking a small smile in spite of herself, "You all done down there?"**

"**Yeah, Adam's here, he said he'd close up. You want some help on that song now?" Alexis asked, nodding at the guitar.**

"**Yeah, definitely! It's killing me! Here, listen to what I have so far," she placed her fingers on the string, strumming out the opening chords.**

**Alexis listened intently as she played, smiling as the last note rang out.**

"**So?" Jorja asked, looking up expectantly.**

"**I love the melody. It's perfect, you just need to change a few words up. Let me see that notebook?"**

**Jorja handed it over, and together they sat, heads bent over the battered pages.**

……………………………………………………………

**Jorja stretched, rubbing the back of her neck, which was stiff from sitting in the same position for so long, "It's perfect," She sighed relieved to finally be finished.**

"**You should play it. Live." Jorja opened her mouth to protest, but Alexis pushed on, not allowing her the chance, "Seriously, Mac's is having an open mike night tonight. You should sign up."**

"**Absolutely not! I'm not singing this live! I'm not singing anything live!**

"**Oh, come on! You should! That song is amazing!"**

"**No. Way." Jorja said, a stubborn look settling into her eyes.**

"**Hmmm… then maybe I should tell Drake you're scared to sing live." Alexis bluffed, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket.**

"**You wouldn't dare!" Jorja's eyes widened, as she sat straight up.**

**Alexis flipped the phone open, and scrolled through her phonebook to Drake's name, "Wanna bet?" She asked, grinning evilly.**

"**Ok! Ok, you win! Don't call him!" Jorja exclaimed, reaching over to shut the phone before Alexis could hit the send button.**

**Alexis smiled triumphantly, "Good, cause I woulda hated to have to call up Mac's and ask them to take your name off the list." She jumped off the couch barely dodging the billow Jorja threw at her. Dashing for the front door, she swung it open, pausing only for a moment, "You're on at 8 by the way." She pulled the door shut behind her, and grinned as she heard the second pillow thud against the door.**

**She flipped her cell phone open, and scrolled to Drake's name again, this time actually hitting the send button.**

"**Hello?" He answered groggily.**

"**Dude, it's like, four in the afternoon! Get you're butt outta bed!"**

"**Why?" Drake asked dully.**

"**Just do it. And you might wanna take a shower. I'll be there in ten minutes, let's grab some dinner or something."**

**Drake started to protest, but was cut off by the sound of his stomach grumbling. His tired eyes swept the dorm room for any sign of food, but all they took in was an empty jar of peanut butter, and two twinkie wrappers. He sighed, "Ok, dinner. I'll see you in ten."**

**True to her word, Alexis knocked on the door to his room in ten minutes, and wrinkled her nose at the sight of Drake, "I thought I said grab a shower. You look like crap."**

**Drake glowered darkly at her, "Gee, thanks. That's so sweet of you. Why do I need to shower, anyways? It's just you."**

**Alexis raised her eyebrows, "I'll look past that remark if you go shower. Now." She pointed towards the bathroom door for emphasis, and smiled smugly as Drake grabbed a handful of clean clothes, along with his bathroom supplies, grumbling under his breath as he made his way to the bathroom.**

**Alexis was waiting for him when he returned, perched on the end of his messy bed. "Well, at least you smell better. Do you ever actually clean this place? I think that sock over there moved on its own when you were gone."**

"**Ok, mom." Drake said sarcastically, "I'll clean later, you ready?**

**Alexis grinned cheerily, hopping off the bed, "After you, good sir."**

**They walked in silence down the New York City streets, returning to the same diner they had eaten at on Drakes first night in town. Alexis slid into the booth across from him, studying his face. His eyes were bloodshot, and though the shower had defiantly helped his hair, and his smell, he was still looking pretty rough. "For someone who sleeps in till four o'clock, you sure look like you haven't slept in ages."**

**Drake shrugged, fiddling with the fork on the table, "That's because I haven't slept. All week. Not since, well, you know, not since I talked to you about Jorja. I don't get it! Do you know how many girls I've dated in my life?"**

"**Do I want to?"**

**Drake continued as if he hadn't even heard her, "Tons. And do you know how many of them made me lose sleep? None. Not one. I just don't get it, I barely even know the girl!"**

**Alexis sighed, "Look, just try not to think about her, ok? Listen, I have the perfect thing to get your mind off it. There's this great club called Mac's. They're having an open mike night tonight. Let's go, it'll get you thinking about something else for a while."**

**Drake shrugged, willing to try anything, "Alright, sure. Anything to keep me out of that dorm room. I'm pretty sure walls are closing in. And you know, I think you might have been right about that sock moving."**

**Alexis grinned; glad to hear his attempt at humor. It was good to see the old Drake Parker gleaming through for a moment.**

**They ordered their dinners, and ate quickly, before entering the cool night air, walking towards Mac's, the sounds of the streets the only noise to be heard.**

**The club was crowded when they finally reached it, and Drake paused, looking uneasily at the line. "Are you sure about this? I don't really want to be surrounded by people right now."  
**

"**Of course you do!" Alexis retorted, smiling brightly as she grabbed his arm, and led him to the door, "It's the best thing for you."**

**The entered the club, and found a place towards the back. Alexis glanced at her watch, which read five minutes till eight, Jorja should be on soon. "Hey, I'll be right back." She said, slipping away before Drake had a chance to answer.**

**She found Jorja back stage pacing, a look of panic crossing her features. "Oh my God! Where have you been! I thought you were going to leave me to do this by myself!"**

"**Of course not! Don't be nervous, you're ready for this. I promise."**

**Jorja ran her hand through her hair, closing her eyes, and letting out a long breath. "Ok. I'm ready. At least Drake's not here. I don't know if I could take it."**

**Alexis grinned nervously, but was saved from having to answer when a man in a black t-shirt walked up, "You Jorja?" he asked, looking up from the clipboard he was carrying.**

"**Yeah, that's me."**

"**Right this way, you're on in 2."**

**Jorja shot a final nervous look over her shoulder as she followed the man to the side of the stage.**

**Alexis drew a deep breath, crossing her fingers for her friend, before she pushed her way back to Drake's side.**

"Hey, where'd you go?"

"**Just to the bathroom." Alexis answered distractedly, as a woman took the stage, leading the clapping for the kid who had been playing. **

"**Alright! Let's hear it for Ted!" She said enthusiastically into the microphone, "Up next we have a first time, so let's hear a warm welcome for Jorja!"**

**Drake's hand froze mid clap, his eyes widening as Jorja took the stage, slipping her guitar strap over her shoulder. He grabbed Alexis's arm, grasping it tightly. "Did you know she was going to be here?" He asked, not taking his eyes off of the girl on stage.**

"**Ow!" Alexis exclaimed, pulling her arm free of his grasp and rubbing it. "That hurt."**

"**Sorry. Alexis, I don't think I can do this. I can't just watch her up there, it's going to drive me crazy!"**

"**Yes you can. Just stay. Give her a chance." Alexis pulled him into a side hug, "Just trust me."**

**Drake swallowed, his eyes a mix between admiration for Jorja, and pain at knowing he couldn't have her.**

**Jorja adjusted the mike, her hands shaking. She smiled out at the crowd, clearing her throat, "I'm going to sing a song I co-wrote with my dear friend Alexis. It's a song about a boy."**

**With that she adjusted the mike one more time, before she began to play, her words ringing out clearly through the club.**

"**I saw you glance this way,**

**Just like you did the other day, **

**You think you know just who I am**

**You're gonna make you're move**

**Yeah, but I've got news for you**

**And I bet, I won't regret **

**To let you know**

**I won't be your little prize**

**To show off to the other guys**

**Not me,  
No, I swear it won't be me**

**You're coming a little closer now**

**And I'm not sure that I know how**

**Racing thoughts become a blur**

**Maybe you're not who I thought you were**

**Yeah, I think I might've been wrong**

**And I bet, I won't regret **

**To let you know**

**I won't be your little prize**

**To show off to the other guys**

**Not me,  
No, I swear it won't be me**

**Secret glances, your advances**

**Won't get you anywhere with me**

**I'm not like those other girls**

**Dreaming of you night and day**

**You won't get me without a fight**

**At least that's what I thought last night**

**I admit**

**It might just fit**

**You and me**

**I can see**

**You and me,**

**It might be**

**Yeah, It might be"**

**((Author's Note: I bet you're dying to know what happens, aren't you? Buah ha ha! The more you review, the faster I update. It's scientifically proven. Oh, and I wrote the song, so it's not plagiarizing. And on a side note, you should all go read ChocolateCoveredJockey 's fics. Seriously. Do it.))**


	6. Chapter 6

Alexis chanced a glance over at Drake as the last note of the song rang out. His eyes were fixed on Jorja as she pulled the guitar off her shoulders.

Without a word he moved past Alexis, pushing through the crowd to get to the stage. Jorja was making her way down the steps when she spotted him. Their eyes met, and for a moment they both froze, seeing nothing but each other, and hearing no sound other then the beating of their own hearts.

The color drained from Jorja's face as the realization hit her. He had heard her song. Which meant… he had heard her heart.

Drake broke the spell, pushing the rest of the way through the crowd, and meeting her where she stood on the bottom step. He swallowed nervously, and reached out, gently taking her guitar from her hands, and leaning it against the side of the stage.

"Hi." He breathed, resisting the urge to pull this beautiful girl into his arms and kiss her.

"Hi," Jorja answered, her voice barely a whisper, and her heart in her throat.

"That song-" Drake paused, swallowing again, before forcing himself on, "Was - Was it about me?"

Jorja's face flushed bright red, the color returning to it in an instant, and she looked down, avoiding his gaze. "Yeah," she answered, not even bothering to lie.

Drake reached out, gently lifting her chin up so he was looking into her eyes, "I'm sorry." Regret was shining in his eyes, along with a longing to be understood.

Surprise flickered across Jorja's features, "You're sorry? You didn't do anything wrong. I never even gave you a chance."

"I didn't give you much reason to. You deserve better then that."

Jorja looked down again, but this time only for a moment before she willingly met his eyes again. "Can we start over?" She asked, her voice was small, hopeful.

A slow smile spread across Drakes features, lighting up his eyes, as he reached for both of her hands. He threaded his fingers through hers, gently tugging her closer, before slipping his arm around her waist and closing the rest of the distance between them. He let go of her other hand, sliding his hand along her jaw line and into her hair, staring wordlessly into her eyes. He dipped his head down, his lips meeting hers in a slow, sweet kiss.

In all his years of kissing girls, Drake had never felt a kiss like that before. It was as if his whole body was on fire, and he couldn't breathe. But that didn't matter, because who needed to breathe? All he need was right in front of him. He finally bulled back, allowing his forehead to fall against hers, his eyes still closed.

Jorja slid her arms around his neck, wanting this moment to last forever. "Was that a yes?" She asked, breathless.

"That was a yes." Drake answered, pulling her into another kiss, both of them oblivious the noise of the club that was surrounding them. They broke apart again, both of them reluctantly pulling back, catching their breath.

"So, what exactly does this mean?" Jorja asked, allowing herself to be pulled once more into Drakes arms, resting her head against his chest.

Drake kissed the top of her head, enjoying the feeling of having her in his arms. "I think it means you don't hate me anymore." Drake could sense her hesitation, and he tightened his arms around her, offering a reassuring hug, and whispering his next words into her hair, "I think it means I'm going to be trustworthy for the first time in my life. I don't know that I deserve you, but I know I'm going to do my best. I swear, I won't hurt you."

Jorja pulled back, her eyes serious, desperate to believe what he was saying, "Don't make promises you can't keep Drake." Her words were gentle, unaccusing.

Drake framed her face with his hands, his gaze locked on hers, "I promise, Jorja. I will never, ever do anything to cause you pain."

Jorja slipped her arms around his neck again, pulling him back into one last kiss, "I believe you." She murmured, her lips still brushing against his.

The pulled back again, and Drake slid his arm around her waist, leading her away from the stage, "You ready to get out of here?"

Jorja nodded, lost in her own thoughts. She felt so safe in his arms, like nothing could ever hurt her. A week ago she would have scoffed at his tender words thinking they were overused lines he'd used on every single one of his prior girlfriends. But tonight… tonight she could feel them in her very soul. He meant what he said, and things had never felt more right. That was the only way she could describe it. Things felt _right_.

Jorja shook herself out of her reverie, in time to see Alexis standing in front of her, a wide grin on her face.

"Hey, you crazy kids. Something you want to tell me?" Alexis raised her eyebrows, her gaze bouncing between Drake and Jorja.

Jorja broke free of Drakes grasp to throw her arms around her friend. "Thanks," she whispered into her ear, "You're the best friend a girl could ask for."

"Aw, you're going to make me blush," Alexis quipped back, but her smile was real, and she hugged her back.

The three headed back out into the streets, Drake wasting no time in claiming Jorja's hand for his own again. Jorja smiled up at him, and he pulled her hand to his lips, kissing it.

Alexis sighed, watching their silent exchange. "Well, here's to being a third wheel," she commented dryly.

Drake grinned at her, his features looking ridiculously joyous, "Don't worry, Alexis, we'll hook you up with someone. You know, my room mate's available."

"Oh no. No way, you two couldn't even get yourselves together without help, there's no way you're setting me up with somebody."

Jorja's eyes were sparkling as she looked over at her friend, "See, that means we owe you! You know, I've seen his room mate, he's pretty cute."

"What have I started!?" Alexis exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

Drake and Jorja just laughed, continuing their plans for their single friend, as Drake comfortably slid his arm around Jorja's waist, smiling when she returned the gesture.

Things were definitely looking up for Drake Parker. He hadn't mastered it yet, but he was finally beginning to learn what love was really all about. It wasn't how many girls he could get to go out with him. It wasn't making out with somebody he'd only met five seconds ago. It was deeper then that. It was… well, as cheesy as it sounded, it was a connection, on a level that could only be reached by two hearts, intertwined to become one.

Drake Parker was falling in love.


End file.
